Historically, an important role of museums has been to contribute to national homogenization, but their roles are currently in flux. The study shows that Swedish museums of culture and history have begun the journey of adjusting to a new era that is affected by globalization, migration and requests for recognition of cultural difference. These processes began in the 1970s, and have been related to policy developments in the fields of culture, integration and minorities. In certain respects, the museums are moving in the direction of becoming what Eilean Hooper-Greenhill describes as post-museums, for example, museums have begun to include stories that have previously been ignored and are opening up to collaboration with stakeholders. However, the very exhibitions could be improved if museums, for example, more effectively employed new global and transnational perspectives on migration.

Migration är ett av vår tids tongivande fenomen och har djupgående effekter i samhället. Museerna kan i dess spår inta en roll med potential att påverka vår förståelse av världen. När museer är som bäst utgör de platser där människor kan utforska transnationella kontakter, migrationens verkligheter och mänskliga rättigheter. Därigenom blir de relevanta som kulturinstitutioner och kan bidra till positiv social förändring, uppmuntra solidaritet och hållbar utveckling. I Museums in a time of migration reflekterar ledande forskare och museikuratorer över museernas engagemang i migrationsfrågor. Författarna presenterar nya och nyskapande projekt från hela världen tillsammans med grundliga analyser av de teoretiska och praktiska villkoren bakom dem. Särskild uppmärksamhet ägnas museernas roller, representationer, samlingar och samarbeten.

Migration in all its forms is a prominent phenomenon, with far-ranging implications for society. Museums, being important educational institutions, not only reflect society, but what they display has the potential to affect our understanding of the world. When museums become places where people can explore the realities of migration, transnational connections, and human rights, they become even more relevant as cultural institutions, and can help drive positive social change, encouraging solidarity and sustainable development. In the book Museums in a Time of Migration, leading scholars and museum curators reflect on museums’ engagement in migration issues. New and innovative museum projects around the world are presented in telling analyses of the theoretical and practical realities. Special attention is paid to the museums’ roles, representations, collections, and collaborations in a time of migration.

Historically, an important role of museums has been to contribute to national homogenization. The book specifically engages with how the Swedish museum sector addresses new demands from a society that is profoundly characterized by migration and cultural diversity. Besides the museums’ representations of migration and cultural diversity, the book also examines how changes in the museum sector relate to general policy developments in the fields of culture, integration and minorities. The book also discusses whether and how museums are open for dialogue and collaboration with migrants and ethnic minorities and the kinds of problems museums encounter in their efforts to be more inclusive.